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Tuesday January 24,1995 Vol. CXXIV, No. 7
Headlines
Bad plot devices in film ‘Company’
Laurence Fishbume stars as Nelson Crowe, a former CIA operative who must infiltrate Margaret Wells' (Ellen Bar-kin) industrial espionage boutique in the overly-pre-dictable "Bad Company."
Diversions, page 8
A rebounder in game of life
Forward Jaha Wilson is enjoying a phenomenal season for the Trojans. Not long ago, however, Wilson was on the verge of quitting the very game at which he now excels.
Sports, page 16
Celebration or abomination?
Atomic bomb postage stamps are one thing, but efforts to downplay the anniversary of V-J Day trivialize the important role the U.S. played in ending a costly and prolonged war.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
MTA to discuss service options
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has proposed two new services for the South Central L.A. area. The first is the Inner City Connector, which would provide diagonal service during rush hours through the area from Imperial Highway and Wilmington Avenue to La Cien-ega and Santa Monica boulevards. Also proposed is a flexible-destination shuttle in the area bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 52nd Street, Budlong Avenue and Angeles Vista Boulevard. It would operate during the day Monday through Friday in the area and could be flagged down at points other than designated stops.
A community meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church at 3303 W. Vernon Ave. A public hearing will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Christian Community Center, 8725 S. Broadway. For more information call Sumire Grant at (213) 244-7009.
Newspaper of the University of Southern California
Flto photo
Recyclables are collected In bins In a residence hall to be removed by private haulers.
University’s residential recycling efforts expand
By Kamron Barron
Stott Writer
Recycling programs in both the North College Residence Halls and the Parkside Apartments have begun planning to include other university-owned housing in their recycling system.
Mike Newhouse, who began the program at Parkside one and a half years ago, said because it has been successful at Parkside he would like to allow other residence halls to begin recycling as well.
"When I got here I realized we didn't have a residential recycling program," said Newhouse, who is also Student Senate community outreach chair. "It was one of my goals as president of Student Action for the Environment. We got it started at Parkside and I'd like to see it expand from there."
Residents of Parkside Apartments placed a large bin in their courtyard for students to put recyclables in, but plans
on distributing small bins for each student's room have yet to be realized.
"We got one of the large recycling bins that you see out on campus and we put it in the courtyard to make it convenient for students to put their recyclable paper," said Newhouse. "We're to the point that we're filling the bin every two days."
Jeff Urdahl, director of housing, cites the removal of the recycled paper as a hazard, but the programs have not been officially stopped.
"Part of it is making sure we have a rapid removal of the items to the extent that we can ensure we are within the fire safety and health regulations," said Urdahl. "It (recycling) is important and we need to incorporate it into the residential halls."
John Cox, coordinator of Recycling and Waste Management, was hired last Au-
(Ste Recycling, page 11)
Theft suspect caught; bike owner sought
By Nik Trendowski
City Editor
After catching a suspect attempting to steal a bicycle north of campus, the Department of Public Safety is looking for the owner that bicycle so LAPD can keep the suspect in custody.
A man was caught by DPS officers as he broke the lock off a bicycle at 1358 W. 29th St. last week, said Detective Bob DeVega of DPS.
However, because the bicycle is unregistered, the man cannot be kept in custody if the owner is not found.
"If we don't have the registration, we're out in the wind," DeVega said.
Lt. David Ritch of DPS said in a recent three-month study of bicycle robberies DPS conducted, about 75 percent of stolen bicycles were unregistered.
DPS has received reports of 10 stolen bicycles over the past month, according to the department's records.
In December, four students reported being robbed of bicycles at knifepoint, according to DPS records. Only two of those bikes were registered, Ritch said.
DeVega said the suspect, Robert Johnson, had previously been implicated in the thefts of over 100 other bicycles, and had just been released from incarceration last week.
Johnson is in custody now in connection with a parole violation from a previous bicycle theft conviction, DeVega said.
LAPD officials would not release any information about the man's past arrest history.
DeVega said Johnson, who uses several aliases, is of special interest because he tends to be violent in his attacks on both officers and others during thefts.
"There's been quite a few other ones . . . this one is dangerous, though," DeVega said.
Bicycles have a high resale value on the black market, enough to buy a substantial amount of crack cocaine, DeVega said.
"This seems to be a thing that's happening more and more," DeVega said. "Some schmuck comes along and decides he's going to take (a bicycle).
"Bikes are a big selling thing right now, and what are they doing with them? Getting a big rock (of crack)."
DeVega said he has caught suspects from as far away as Orange County attempting to
(See Bicycles, page 6)
Older students face challenges adapting
Work, parenthood require extra effort for non-traditional Trojans
By Susan Deemer
Staff Writer
Films like "Animal House" and "Higher Learning" tend to evoke images of the traditional college student. Memories of the coming of age, dormitories, sorority and fraternity houses and newfound freedom from parental guidelines are all part of college life for most students attending four-year college institutions.
However there is a large minority of "overgrown college kids" who have either returned to school to get their degree or have just started. Many of them get their start at junior colleges and arrive at institutions like
USC in their mid-20s, as opposed to their late teens. There are also many others who get started in their 30s, 40s and, yes, there is even a growing number of senior collegiates.
"When you are older, you have to work to support yourself . . . you can only take classes part-time . . . and consequently you're older when you turn up at a four-year institution," said Fred Piegonski, public information officer at Los Angeles City College.
Junior colleges like Santa Monica College, which sends more transfer students to USC than any other junior college, are finding that their median
student body is aging, and as a result, these older students are taking longer than their younger counterparts to complete their requirements for transferring.
"Generally our students take more like an average of three years to transfer, because most of them have part-time jobs," said Brenda Johnson, assistant dean of transfer students at SMC.
Ann Rike, senior assistant director of admissions at USC, offered explanations for the trend.
"Community colleges have always serviced a wider range of students. People who are changing their careers may take casual courses . . . and gradually move into (a four-year college
n;ram)," she said, t has a lot to do with the economy. Many people are displaced by jobs. Their only op-
portunity for advancement is (to return to school), to retool, complete a degree or change their career."
Elaine Lyles, 37, is a single mother of two who transferred to USC from Santa Monica College in 1993. Although she had a high school education as well as two years of community college, Lyles, who is majoring in business administration, said she felt she needed a degree in order to take advantage of better career opportunities.
Lyles said it was intimidating to return — after many years of working — to a school where the majority of students are under 25.
"It's different ... we (older students) are extremely focused, whereas (traditional students) are into the party mode: They (See Age, page 3)

Tuesday January 24,1995 Vol. CXXIV, No. 7
Headlines
Bad plot devices in film ‘Company’
Laurence Fishbume stars as Nelson Crowe, a former CIA operative who must infiltrate Margaret Wells' (Ellen Bar-kin) industrial espionage boutique in the overly-pre-dictable "Bad Company."
Diversions, page 8
A rebounder in game of life
Forward Jaha Wilson is enjoying a phenomenal season for the Trojans. Not long ago, however, Wilson was on the verge of quitting the very game at which he now excels.
Sports, page 16
Celebration or abomination?
Atomic bomb postage stamps are one thing, but efforts to downplay the anniversary of V-J Day trivialize the important role the U.S. played in ending a costly and prolonged war.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
MTA to discuss service options
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has proposed two new services for the South Central L.A. area. The first is the Inner City Connector, which would provide diagonal service during rush hours through the area from Imperial Highway and Wilmington Avenue to La Cien-ega and Santa Monica boulevards. Also proposed is a flexible-destination shuttle in the area bounded by Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 52nd Street, Budlong Avenue and Angeles Vista Boulevard. It would operate during the day Monday through Friday in the area and could be flagged down at points other than designated stops.
A community meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Christ the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church at 3303 W. Vernon Ave. A public hearing will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Christian Community Center, 8725 S. Broadway. For more information call Sumire Grant at (213) 244-7009.
Newspaper of the University of Southern California
Flto photo
Recyclables are collected In bins In a residence hall to be removed by private haulers.
University’s residential recycling efforts expand
By Kamron Barron
Stott Writer
Recycling programs in both the North College Residence Halls and the Parkside Apartments have begun planning to include other university-owned housing in their recycling system.
Mike Newhouse, who began the program at Parkside one and a half years ago, said because it has been successful at Parkside he would like to allow other residence halls to begin recycling as well.
"When I got here I realized we didn't have a residential recycling program," said Newhouse, who is also Student Senate community outreach chair. "It was one of my goals as president of Student Action for the Environment. We got it started at Parkside and I'd like to see it expand from there."
Residents of Parkside Apartments placed a large bin in their courtyard for students to put recyclables in, but plans
on distributing small bins for each student's room have yet to be realized.
"We got one of the large recycling bins that you see out on campus and we put it in the courtyard to make it convenient for students to put their recyclable paper," said Newhouse. "We're to the point that we're filling the bin every two days."
Jeff Urdahl, director of housing, cites the removal of the recycled paper as a hazard, but the programs have not been officially stopped.
"Part of it is making sure we have a rapid removal of the items to the extent that we can ensure we are within the fire safety and health regulations," said Urdahl. "It (recycling) is important and we need to incorporate it into the residential halls."
John Cox, coordinator of Recycling and Waste Management, was hired last Au-
(Ste Recycling, page 11)
Theft suspect caught; bike owner sought
By Nik Trendowski
City Editor
After catching a suspect attempting to steal a bicycle north of campus, the Department of Public Safety is looking for the owner that bicycle so LAPD can keep the suspect in custody.
A man was caught by DPS officers as he broke the lock off a bicycle at 1358 W. 29th St. last week, said Detective Bob DeVega of DPS.
However, because the bicycle is unregistered, the man cannot be kept in custody if the owner is not found.
"If we don't have the registration, we're out in the wind," DeVega said.
Lt. David Ritch of DPS said in a recent three-month study of bicycle robberies DPS conducted, about 75 percent of stolen bicycles were unregistered.
DPS has received reports of 10 stolen bicycles over the past month, according to the department's records.
In December, four students reported being robbed of bicycles at knifepoint, according to DPS records. Only two of those bikes were registered, Ritch said.
DeVega said the suspect, Robert Johnson, had previously been implicated in the thefts of over 100 other bicycles, and had just been released from incarceration last week.
Johnson is in custody now in connection with a parole violation from a previous bicycle theft conviction, DeVega said.
LAPD officials would not release any information about the man's past arrest history.
DeVega said Johnson, who uses several aliases, is of special interest because he tends to be violent in his attacks on both officers and others during thefts.
"There's been quite a few other ones . . . this one is dangerous, though," DeVega said.
Bicycles have a high resale value on the black market, enough to buy a substantial amount of crack cocaine, DeVega said.
"This seems to be a thing that's happening more and more," DeVega said. "Some schmuck comes along and decides he's going to take (a bicycle).
"Bikes are a big selling thing right now, and what are they doing with them? Getting a big rock (of crack)."
DeVega said he has caught suspects from as far away as Orange County attempting to
(See Bicycles, page 6)
Older students face challenges adapting
Work, parenthood require extra effort for non-traditional Trojans
By Susan Deemer
Staff Writer
Films like "Animal House" and "Higher Learning" tend to evoke images of the traditional college student. Memories of the coming of age, dormitories, sorority and fraternity houses and newfound freedom from parental guidelines are all part of college life for most students attending four-year college institutions.
However there is a large minority of "overgrown college kids" who have either returned to school to get their degree or have just started. Many of them get their start at junior colleges and arrive at institutions like
USC in their mid-20s, as opposed to their late teens. There are also many others who get started in their 30s, 40s and, yes, there is even a growing number of senior collegiates.
"When you are older, you have to work to support yourself . . . you can only take classes part-time . . . and consequently you're older when you turn up at a four-year institution," said Fred Piegonski, public information officer at Los Angeles City College.
Junior colleges like Santa Monica College, which sends more transfer students to USC than any other junior college, are finding that their median
student body is aging, and as a result, these older students are taking longer than their younger counterparts to complete their requirements for transferring.
"Generally our students take more like an average of three years to transfer, because most of them have part-time jobs," said Brenda Johnson, assistant dean of transfer students at SMC.
Ann Rike, senior assistant director of admissions at USC, offered explanations for the trend.
"Community colleges have always serviced a wider range of students. People who are changing their careers may take casual courses . . . and gradually move into (a four-year college
n;ram)," she said, t has a lot to do with the economy. Many people are displaced by jobs. Their only op-
portunity for advancement is (to return to school), to retool, complete a degree or change their career."
Elaine Lyles, 37, is a single mother of two who transferred to USC from Santa Monica College in 1993. Although she had a high school education as well as two years of community college, Lyles, who is majoring in business administration, said she felt she needed a degree in order to take advantage of better career opportunities.
Lyles said it was intimidating to return — after many years of working — to a school where the majority of students are under 25.
"It's different ... we (older students) are extremely focused, whereas (traditional students) are into the party mode: They (See Age, page 3)